


Take it slow, in the snow

by cerisemoon



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cats, F/F, also stella is like a... refined, aranea is the filthy buff gf who pregames everything she ever does, aranea loves pussy, definitely will be, i created this ship and ill die with or for it, pussycats, sophisticated butch, this is uh, this might be a slow burn, uhh a tumblr prompt i took too far but hey whats new
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-13
Updated: 2018-12-11
Packaged: 2019-03-04 12:31:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,691
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13364760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cerisemoon/pseuds/cerisemoon
Summary: "I accept your offer."Aranea shakes her head at the formal gesture, but takes Stella's hand in her own, and shakes it once, firmly.It isn't all that unpleasant.Stella hoists her bag atop her suitcase, and begins to march towards the exit. "Shall we then?"Aranea sighs, adjusts the bag slung over her shoulder and begins to follow her into the cold. Her truck is parked up just outside, and Stella picks it out immediately. Aranea can't decide if that's a good or bad thing.





	1. Introduction or...something

**Author's Note:**

> because i needed yet another fic to never finish

"Absolutely not."

"Look- Come on I'm trying to be nice here."

  
Aranea folds her arms and sighs, eyes fixed on the frowning face of one Stella Nox Fleuret. She's seated on a waiting bench just in front of her, luggage tucked between her legs. Despite being inside a busy, and reasonably warm airport, her fingers were in mittens, and a woolen white hat was fixed firmly over her head.

  
"And Miss Highwind while I appreciate the offer, I cannot stay in your home." Aranea groans inwardly at Stella's stubborness, shifting hard enough that her heel screeches as it moves across the floor. Over Stella's shoulder, she gazes out of the huge glass windows at the heavy snowflakes swirling around just outside, before looking back at the woman in front of her.

"Can't or won't?" Stella opens her mouth to respond, scowling, but Aranea's raised palm cuts her off. "You can't stay here, and there's not going to be another flight for at least a day."

"I'm sure I could...find a hotel."

"On Christmas Eve? In Gralea?" Stella falters at Aranea's raised brow, and bristles in her seat. "Look I'm just as uncomfortable with the idea of you staying at my apartment as you are, but I'm not so much of an asshole to leave you here. Besides, Luna would kill me if I did." She adds, in an attempt to lighten the tension. Stella's face picks up a little, and her shoulders drop.

"She would, yes. Though she'd be just as angry with me for refusing help." Stella stands, and extends a hand to Aranea. "So, I accept your offer."  
Aranea shakes her head at the formal gesture, but takes Stella's hand in her own, and shakes it once, firmly.

  
It isn't all that unpleasant.

  
Stella hoists her bag atop her suitcase, and begins to march towards the exit. "Shall we then?"

Aranea sighs, adjusts the bag slung over her shoulder and begins to follow her into the cold. Her truck is parked up just outside, and Stella picks it out immediately. Aranea can't decide if that's a good or bad thing, but tosses her backpack onto the backseat, and takes Stella's rather small suitcase and bag from her, putting it next to the bag.

"Be careful wit-"

"I am! Gods, calm down."

"I'm perfectly calm, Miss Highwind."

"Oh, would you _**just**_ -" She slams the backdoor, startling Stella, and storms around to the driver's seat. "Enough of that, seriously. We've known each other for years, I'm not a fucking stranger Stella."

Stella scowls, and gets into the passenger seat. "We're not friends either."

The key turns in the ignition, and Aranea changes gear, reversing out of the space. _Don't I fucking know it_. She thinks to herself, before switching on the radio and pulling out onto the long road to home.


	2. Loqi sucks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aranea's apartment is a mess and so is Stella's life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> agsgdhshs im so fucking sorry i literally cannot write unless im stressed out and late on important

The door to Aranea Highwind's apartment shakes, and rattles, and muffled curses float through the gap below, awakening the large cat asleep on her brother's lap.

"Loqi! Open the door!" A thud, and the cat leaps off of the man's lap, slinking into the kitchen to escape the noise. A quiet, murmured apology, and then another thud. "Loqi, wake the fuck up!"

The door rattles once more, and an arm slides through the letterbox halfway up the door, and feels it's way around until it finds the doorknob, twisting it in several directions until a click rings out, and the door swings open. Aranea Highwind moves with the door, cursing as it pulls her into the apartment, arm still jammed through the letterbox, and the blonde behind her struggles with a bemused expression.

Aranea stands, dusting herself off, and storms over to the couch, giving it a harsh kick, awaking the young man asleep atop it. "Thanks for leaving the door locked, asshole!"

"Agh! What?"

"We've got a guest, Loqi, get off your ass." Aranea turns around, motioning her in.

Loqi groans, rubbing at his eyes, and makes no attempt to stifle a yawn. "You're late, what do you want me to do, sleep with an unlocked door? In Gralea?"

"Surely you aren't afraid, Loqi?" Loqi looks up, and runs a hand through his hair before grinning.

"Stella fucking Fleuret." He lifts an arm, grin fixed on his face, as Stella raises her own, and a smile forms on her own face as they cross forearms. "Never thought I'd see the day you set foot in Gralea willingly."

Dropping her arm, she sighs, and tugs her luggage into the apartment behind her, gazing at Aranea, who's pacing the kitchen, cooing at the cat in her arms. "Not all that willingly. My flight got cancelled, and Aranea...kindly offered I stay here until the next safe one."

Loqi raises a brow, and shrugs. "Fair enough. I won't give up my bed for you, though." And Stella shakes her head with a small smile.

"The thought hadn't crossed my mind. Eos knows the only ones you'll spare your bed for are my brother and that...gentleman you're pursuing." A smug grin forms on her face, and from the kitchen, Aranea snickers at her tone. "How goes that endeavour again?"

Loqi's face reddens, and an accusatory finger flies into Stella's face. "I'll have you know-"

"That you haven't spoken to him in two months because you're trying to play hard to get?" Aranea calls, as she totes the cat in between rooms, passing by the two. Stella's eyes follow her unconsciously; The way she cradles the cat so gently, despite the strength Stella knows is locked in her arms, and the softness in her green eyes that Stella's only really seen a few times, enough to count on one hand. She finds it hard to pull her gaze away, much harder than she would expect it to be.

Loqi splutters some more, and Stella finds it in her to laugh at his mini meltdown, but her mind still drifts to Aranea, and her closed bedroom door. It's only been a couple years since they last saw each other, and Stella didn't miss her, not really, but there's something...something in her that makes her chest tighten, just by standing in Aranea's own apartment.  

Loqi manages to draw himself together. Looking around, the place feels familiar, but not too familiar. The furniture's mostly the same, same beaten-up old couch, though she can see they've added new pieces of cat furniture, now that she's grown up. That's something- Aranea's cat's grown much larger now, she'd been barely a kitten when Stella had last seen her, nestled in a cat carrier. The kitchen's the same. The fridge is buried beneath mountains of reminders on sticky notes. Magnets pin up important-looking letters, and spell out a few... uncouth phrases. There’s a cheap plastic whiteboard barely clinging to the metal, passive aggressive scrawl smack in the middle, reminding Loqi to leave the door unlocked, which makes her laugh a little.

"Forgetful are you, Tummelt?" She calls, a sly grin on her face as bends down, examining the notes on the fridge. A sudden shadow falls over her and Loqi's arm is slung around her shoulders, with an equally smug expression.

"Nosy are you, Fleuret?" Stella ducks under his arm and hops just out of reach.

“I like to think of myself as curious.”

Loqi grins. “And aren’t you just? You’ve been surprisingly polite.”

Stella feels her cheeks redden, and she averts her eyes, taking a deep breath “I am... your houseguest. I know to keep my manners around my hostess.”

“Even if you want to deck her?” Loqi’s face fills her vision, and she shoves it away, sighing.

“I want to do no such thing. I’m not so low to resort to physical violence because of a dispute,” She says, flicking her hair over her shoulder

“Didn’t you knife-”

“No. No I didn’t.” And with that, she ducks back into the front room, and takes a seat, dusting the hem of her skirt. “That was Cindy.”

“Oh, so you were a helpless bystander? Bullshit.” She kicks at Loqi’s legs as he moves past to join her, and he’s graceful enough to land on the couch, not his ass. 

A silence fills the air, and Stella can feel herself settle into it. She’s not...content, but she’s not uncomfortable. Loqi has always proved a good conversationalist, and they’d gotten along the whole time he and Aranea had been in Lucis. To say she missed him is too much, Stella rarely misses anybody, but it is nice to see him. It’s something else entirely to see Aranea. In the quiet, she takes a moment to think. Obviously it’s been years, but only a few. It can’t be more than four, yet Aranea seems so much older. Gray hair never helps, she muses. Her hair is shorter now, and Stella’s not quite sure if it suits her or not, and beneath the smoke around Aranea’s eyes, Stella can see lavender bags. She’s got another scar too, poking out of her shirt collar. It looked fairly deep, but Stella really only got a quick glance at it. It’s rude to stare, and not her place to ask. Not anymore.

Turning her head to gaze at Loqi, she catches his eyes, and immediately rolls hers before he can draw breath. “Don’t flatter yourself, Loqi.”

He pouts, like a baby, but it brings a smile to her face, and she looks over at the TV in the corner, layered with dust and nods towards it. “Does that work?”

“Oh, yeah.” 

She slaps his chest, brows furrowed. “Then why is it filthy? Don't you ever clean?” A beat passes, then another, and she sighs “You're incorrigible.”

“Don't know the meaning of the word.” Loqi replies, fetching the remote from the end stand they use as a coffee table, and tossing it at Stella. “Here, take your pick.” 

And as they settle there, on the old but soft couch, Stella's gaze can't help but drift to Aranea’s door, the buzzing voices on TV fading into white noise. Loqi catches her, eyes rolling as he turns the volume higher. 

He hasn't the patience for this again. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought this was a really long chapter but apparently it's not? But to be fair, it did take me a year to write it so uhhhhhhh see u in another year?

**Author's Note:**

> ha HAAA ladies week is in two days and im behind on every course the only option is escapism via lesbians


End file.
